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Gilles Panizzi says that the all-new Mitsubishi Lancer WRC is better than the Peugeot 206 was in its early stages of development.
Panizzi, who has signed a three-year contract with Mitsubishi, tried the new Lancer WRC for the first time earlier this week in Wales. He completed two days of running on gravel in the Sweet Lamb complex, a former stage of the Rally Great Britain.
He said: "I cannot compare the Peugeot as it is now with the Mitsubishi, but if I think back to how the Peugeot was when it was totally new, this is better. We've done two days of running without a single mechanical problem, which is fantastic. OK, some small things have broken but nothing serious. When the Peugeot was new, we were breaking things all the time."
The new car has very little in common with Mitsubishi's last World Rally Car, the Lancer Evo WRC Step 2 - which had its last outing as a works entry on the 2002 Rally Great Britain. Since then, Mitsubishi have had a sabbatical year designing a new car under the leadership of newly-appointed technical chief Mario Fornaris.
Fornaris, who worked with Panizzi at Peugeot, said: "We started with a blank sheet of paper. The bodyshell is the thing that has most in common with the old car, but even that is quite different now. Mechanically, the car is all new. It's a proper World Rally Car, that has nothing to do with the old Group A car."
The new car features improved aerodynamics, cooling and weight distribution. A new drivetrain has replaced the idiosyncratic transmission system that Mitsubishi has relied on in previous years. The interior looks like a touring car, with the driver seated low down and well back in the bodyshell.
"Straight away I had a good feeling when I drove it," said Panizzi. "It felt very balanced and extremely easy to drive. I didn't have to fight the car at all: it's been born very well. It's difficult to say what the real performance is, because this car is still very new and we were using the wrong shock absorbers. Our first tests are all about getting a feel for the car and looking for any problems, not going quickly. But I feel very optimistic. On some other cars, using the wrong shock absorbers would make the car undriveable. With this car, you just get in and drive."
Panizzi will share the development work with the team's trusted test driver, Lasse Lampi. The Frenchman effectively becomes Mitsubishi's lead driver, as his young team mates Kristian Sohlberg, Gigi Galli and Daniel Sola have very little WRC car experience. Panizzi will drive on every round next year, while the other three drivers will share the second car. Galli will be Panizzi's team mate on the first round, in Monte Carlo.
Panizzi's co-driving brother Herve commented: "This is going to be the busiest period in our professional life. I can see that Gilles is incredibly motivated. A full season in a factory car is everything he's ever wanted and Mitsubishi were equally keen to have him. We've got to be realistic, but Gilles and I are incredibly impressed by everybody's determination to succeed."
Mitsubishi will carry out more testing in Britain before moving to the French alps for a Monte Carlo test in mid-December.
Panizzi, who has signed a three-year contract with Mitsubishi, tried the new Lancer WRC for the first time earlier this week in Wales. He completed two days of running on gravel in the Sweet Lamb complex, a former stage of the Rally Great Britain.
He said: "I cannot compare the Peugeot as it is now with the Mitsubishi, but if I think back to how the Peugeot was when it was totally new, this is better. We've done two days of running without a single mechanical problem, which is fantastic. OK, some small things have broken but nothing serious. When the Peugeot was new, we were breaking things all the time."
The new car has very little in common with Mitsubishi's last World Rally Car, the Lancer Evo WRC Step 2 - which had its last outing as a works entry on the 2002 Rally Great Britain. Since then, Mitsubishi have had a sabbatical year designing a new car under the leadership of newly-appointed technical chief Mario Fornaris.
Fornaris, who worked with Panizzi at Peugeot, said: "We started with a blank sheet of paper. The bodyshell is the thing that has most in common with the old car, but even that is quite different now. Mechanically, the car is all new. It's a proper World Rally Car, that has nothing to do with the old Group A car."
The new car features improved aerodynamics, cooling and weight distribution. A new drivetrain has replaced the idiosyncratic transmission system that Mitsubishi has relied on in previous years. The interior looks like a touring car, with the driver seated low down and well back in the bodyshell.
"Straight away I had a good feeling when I drove it," said Panizzi. "It felt very balanced and extremely easy to drive. I didn't have to fight the car at all: it's been born very well. It's difficult to say what the real performance is, because this car is still very new and we were using the wrong shock absorbers. Our first tests are all about getting a feel for the car and looking for any problems, not going quickly. But I feel very optimistic. On some other cars, using the wrong shock absorbers would make the car undriveable. With this car, you just get in and drive."
Panizzi will share the development work with the team's trusted test driver, Lasse Lampi. The Frenchman effectively becomes Mitsubishi's lead driver, as his young team mates Kristian Sohlberg, Gigi Galli and Daniel Sola have very little WRC car experience. Panizzi will drive on every round next year, while the other three drivers will share the second car. Galli will be Panizzi's team mate on the first round, in Monte Carlo.
Panizzi's co-driving brother Herve commented: "This is going to be the busiest period in our professional life. I can see that Gilles is incredibly motivated. A full season in a factory car is everything he's ever wanted and Mitsubishi were equally keen to have him. We've got to be realistic, but Gilles and I are incredibly impressed by everybody's determination to succeed."
Mitsubishi will carry out more testing in Britain before moving to the French alps for a Monte Carlo test in mid-December.
